


Take A Breath

by DGCatAniSiri



Series: James Vega Romance [6]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 07:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10485951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGCatAniSiri/pseuds/DGCatAniSiri
Summary: Shepard and James take some time to recuperate after James's injury.





	

Despite the severity of his injury, James, Shepard, and Doctor Chakwas were able to agree on one thing – given the state of the war, especially now that Thessia had fallen, James needed to be back on his feet as fast as possible. There was just some debate as to how soon he should be back on duty. 

“Come on! I’m good! Look, it’s not like I won’t have shields!” 

“That may be true, Lieutenant, but given how you tend to soak up combat fire, I don’t trust you not to pop open your sutures and damage yourself further.” 

Doctor Chakwas had a point. James was well known for playing rough and tumble, he’d never particularly been good with the concept of bed rest. Limiting him to shipboard duty, and restricting how much physical activity he had was only going to make it worse. But Doctor Chakwas wasn’t about to budge on this, being an unstoppable force and immoveable object rolled into one when it came to medical matters. 

Ultimately, James had to bow to her demands, and that left Shepard the one having to keep him to the promise. Shepard’s solution was simple: James would have to spend more time in the captain’s cabin while the Normandy flew back to the Citadel for some repairs, having had to dodge and evade heavy fire from Sovereign-class Reapers on its way to the Relay out of the Parnitha system. Then, during crew leave, keeping him confined to the apartment (Shepard had, privately, negotiated a few rounds in the Armax simulator as a surprise during leave, though Chakwas insisted on a handicap increase for James’s sake, and Shepard knew better than to argue).

“What a hardship, Loco,” James had murmured with a smirk upon hearing the plan.

Of course, the snag in the plan was that James got cabin fever easily.

“It’s not that I’m bored, exactly...”

Shepard still glared at him until he bowed his head.

“Sorry. I can try to-”

“No, you’ve done enough.” Shepard sighed and set the damaged model down on the table. He’d work on repairing it later, after James was back on regular duty. “This is just the side effect of living with someone in such close quarters,” he said, resigning himself to this fate. After all, he reminded himself, he not only loved James, he’d invited him to live in his quarters for the time being. This was his bed, now he had to lie in it. 

James gave another sheepish look. “I really am sorry, Loco. Guess I’m used to things being more... durable. Not used to handling things with the kid gloves, you know?”

There was a loaded statement, Shepard realized. He didn’t believe he’d been treating James with kid gloves since what had happened on Thessia. But he also didn’t know for sure if James felt that way. 

He looked to the man he loved, having retreated to the couch down below. “Do you think I’ve been treating you with kid gloves, James?”

“I didn’t say that, Loco. I... I’m just not used to being cooped up like this. Like, it’s one thing when it’s us goin’ somewhere, but... This is like house arrest. I can’t even life my weights right now. Least not at anything like normal.”

“I know. I imagine it can’t be easy. But... James, I nearly lost you on Thessia.”

James’s expression softened. “I know. I know. And it’s not like I don’t understand where the Doc is comin’ from on this. I get it. It’s just... I’m used to movin’ around. Getting told I need to stay still... It’s kinda drivin’ me nuts.” 

Seeing that James was feeling just as uncomfortable about everything as Shepard was, Shepard sighed. He moved to the sofa, pulling James close. James might have been bigger than Shepard (Shepard might have just the advantage in height, but James won with no question on the bulk front, which, as Liara had put it to Wrex, ‘just meant there was more of the legend to love’), but him letting Shepard pull him like this, let him fall into the other man’s embrace told Shepard that this was something that was serious.

“Kai Leng’s gonna pay for this, James. I swear.”

James smirked slightly at that. “S’what I wanna hear, Loco. Just... I wanna be there with you when that happens. An’ I guess when I get treated like I’m some... broken toy you gotta handle with care... I’m scared it’s not gonna happen. That I’ll be on ‘limited duty’ forever.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“Doesn’t mean the idea doesn’t scare me. Being a solider’s all I’ve ever really been good at. You take that away... I stop bein’ me. And I don’t know who I’d be otherwise.”

“You’d still be James Vega. The man I love. It may not be everything but...”

James pulled himself up out of the embrace enough to look Shepard in the eye. “It means enough, Shepard. At least, it gives me something to hold.”

“That said, James, I still expect you to do everything you can to make sure no one can take that away from you. Picture the look on Kai Leng’s face...”

James nodded. “...when we gut the bastard with his own sword. I like the sound of that.”

Shepard pulled James close again. “And remember, no matter what else, you have me. You still have me. You’ll always have me.”

That got a smile out of James, one that was genuine and heartfelt, not tinged with pain or regret, or even the brief flash of something darker from the thought of giving Kai Leng his just reward. This was pure 100% James Vega happiness. “I know, Loco. An’... I love you.” Not that he hadn’t said it back in the medbay, after Shepard had said it first, but it had a significance to it by being said here and now.

Shepard gently kissed James, resting their foreheads together. “I love you, James Vega.” He pulled James close again, and the two sat there for some time that night.


End file.
